Michelle Lynch has a suitcase full of disturbing stories to tell about accused child molester and former minuteman leader Chris Simcox.

Some are really creepy, especially in hindsight.

Simcox had "tons" of little girls in his apartment playing with his two young daughters, according to Lynch, who lived in the same apartment building in an upper-middle-class complex near the border of Scottsdale and Phoenix.

"I remember six girls, [my daughter] being one of them walking to my house with Chris," she recalled during a recent sit-down at a Phoenix coffee shop. "They were all in princess clothing."

Lynch didn't know then that Simcox was the onetime face of the minuteman movement or that he had been accused of domestic violence and the molestation of his now-adult daughter when she was 14. She knew nothing of his public life.

Instead, she saw a single parent, like herself, who seemed deeply involved in the lives of his kids.

He was home-schooling his two daughters, who, like Lynch's daughter, were under age 10. And though he was never specific, he made it seem as if he was in law enforcement, work that he did not want to discuss.

Another time, Simcox came to her apartment, his two kids in tow. Neither she nor her daughter were home. Her 14-year-old son answered the door.

"Chris handed him a very large bag of Skittles," Lynch said. "I think it was a pound bag, and he says, 'Give this to [your sister] for being a good girl.'"

Lynch didn't think much of it. She had no reason to. Simcox had gained her trust, as he had the trust of other parents in the apartment complex. And the kids visited each others' apartments all the time.

But once her daughter revealed to her how Simcox had told her "secrets" and showed her explicit movies while molesting her, she remembered the Skittles.

"For him to walk up to my door with his two daughters and to hand my son candy, the candy he was giving to my daughter for her participation," she said, her voice filled with disgust, "that's a sick individual. He honestly doesn't care. He's very cocky."

So cocky that he may reject the sweet deal he's been offered by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office: 10 years, with his five class-2 felony counts of child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor busted down to attempted child molestation, and the class-4 felony charge for showing porn to a child wiped away.

Lynch's daughter is not Simcox's only alleged victim. The ex-kindergarten teacher and Republican politician also is charged with molesting one of his own children, inserting his finger into her vagina while both of his girls were showering together.

(Note: Lynch does not know Simcox's ex-wife Alena. Allegations concerning Simcox's daughter came up after the investigation began.)

And there was a third victim cited in the probable-cause statement, another little girl in the complex, who in a forensic interview conducted at the nonprofit anti-child abuse center Childhelp, told an investigator that Simcox had bribed her with candy to see her panties and her genitals. He allegedly had shown this girl "sexy" pictures on his computer, but apparently not pornographic ones.

Charges related to that girl have been dropped.

I initially approached Lynch at a court hearing that I reported on, one in which prosecutor Yigael Cohen told the judge he would make a plea offer.

Cohen didn't reveal the specifics in public, but Lynch was informed and broke down sobbing outside the courtroom. She didn't want to talk then.

Since that day, her sorrow has turned to rage. Her daughter has nightmares about what happened at Simcox's apartment and fears Simcox's returning to hurt her. She told her mother that she was molested every time she went to play with Simcox's kids.

The young girl is getting counseling, but the entire family has been affected. Lynch herself is wracked with guilt and horror. Before Simcox was arrested (it took one month from the initial report to another agency 'til Phoenix cops put Simcox in cuffs), the family lived in fear. One time, she caught her son sleeping with a knife.

At a recent meeting in Cohen's office, Lynch expressed distress. The felonies involving Simcox's alleged sexual conduct with his daughter hypothetically could land Simcox in prison for life. The other charges could bring decades in stir.

But with the plea deal, Simcox could be out in 81/2 years, as Arizona's cons have to serve 85 percent of a sentence before getting released. He would be 60 years old then and certainly capable of victimizing again.

Cohen assured Lynch he knew best, that he'd worked sex crimes for the past eight years. The plea deal was a "legal fiction," to ensure that Simcox did not walk and that he did not have to put her daughter or Simcox's daughters on the stand.

It was "an appropriate plea," Cohen told her, with all the sensitivity of Bashar al-Assad.

Plus, the MCAO never offers a plea deal on all counts: "That's just the way it is," he tutted.

Lynch told him that she didn't care about his eight years of experience, because she would have to spend the next eight years, and then some, making sure her daughter doesn't become a statistic.

What about when Simcox gets out? He would be on lifetime probation, promised Cohen, monitored by a GPS device and not allowed near children. If he slipped, he could be back in prison for another long stint.

"Essentially, the prosecutor is saying [that once he gets out], they'll just wait 'til he does it again," Lynch said, infuriated. "Then they'll give him more time. Meanwhile, they're creating more victims."

So far, County Attorney Bill Montgomery's office has declined to answer questions about the Simcox case, or the apparent conflict with Montgomery's having been a minuteman supporter. Montgomery reportedly even went on patrol with the minutemen at one time.

Though I requested the police report on this case shortly after Simcox was arrested on June 19, I still was waiting for a copy as this column went to press.

There are too many unanswered questions about the Simcox case. One is, why wasn't Simcox's computer seized? After all, Simcox used it in the alleged commission of a crime, showing porn to Lynch's daughter.

But Lynch has been told by both Phoenix police and by Cohen that no one ever attempted to get a search warrant for the computer.

Cohen's explanation for this?

"That police had no reason to," Lynch said. "That he was watching adult porn, and that's not illegal."

Both cops and other law enforcement folk I know tell me that they could have applied for the warrant and a judge probably would have granted it.

If they happened to find child porn on the computer, each image could mean a minimum of 10 years in stir. With more charges stacked against him, Simcox probably would have been willing to accept a harsher sentence.

"Who knows what else was on that computer?" said Lynch. "I don't know if he was videotaping them as they were watching [porn]. Nobody knows."

The computer is gone now. Someone went to the apartment weeks after Simcox was arrested and took away most of his belongings, Lynch explained.

Lynch, an Air Force vet who now teaches at a local charter school, is no milquetoast. She believes Simcox's ties to Montgomery and other power players in Arizona may be why the MCAO wants the case to go away, and she knows that Cohen and his colleagues are annoyed with her.

"They should be," she said, fire in her eyes. "Because I'm only going to be more annoying. This is my daughter we're talking about."

I know where the computers went... With Carmen Mercer when her crew of bigots took all of the kids toys and anything damning about the stupid little nationalist orgy called the minute men. Lol, that stupid name makes me smirk when taken into context and seeing how long they lasted. Wonder why the cops havent arrested Carmen Mercer for tampering with evidence... I'd like to hear an honest explanation for that. Key word is honest.

I second the comments seen in this Page, and more but what can you expect when Ulterior motives override your comments and, maybe, actions? for the polls are the best places to get rid of Vermin found in the government offices!!!! DO VOTE THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE ANY OF THESE VERMIN in the voting ballots!!!!

I've learned not to expect much when it comes to the choices Bill Montgomery makes. His lack of ethics says a lot about the guy.

A plea deal will let this guy walk way too soon. There is no cure for pedophilia just death.

If he takes a plea his record will only reflect that not the truth about the atrocities this man committed against little girls.

Unfortunately in Arizona there are too many unethical, dishonorable people in power who allow their friends "passes" on many things bad.

It's so sad for these children to now have to handle this in their life. It isn't easy if you remember it or if you don't remember it. Your subconscious always knows what happened and interactions with others difficult or not always appropriate. That is speaking from experience.

When tolerance breeds corruption then the entire system is flawed as others embrace this tacitly and quietly; this is not justice - this is a travesty of justice and a mockery of what we believe in. Please remember this election day. It's the only way you can exercise your own opinion on such matters and to protect our kids.

thats the biggest load of shit ive heard/read from a prosecutors mouth...theyre making Mike Nifong look glorious here. Whats that, a politician cutting a deal so his buddy cant drag him down with him? say it aint so..pft

Like I said, Simcox was a soldier the army of child molesters which make up a large part of the Hoi Poi in this country. Want to know what our illustrous Senator "Build the Dang Fence" was known for? Getting young girls to party with military brass and politicians that he was buttering up. Yeah, old John was a great "party guy". There is a child sex trade in the Phillipines for a reason - rich people from all over the world go on "junkets" there - Simcox was an arranger for this group of rich, white politicians and business leaders. I say get that computer and you'll get the goods on the part of the child sex network which Simcox was in charge of organizing.

If MontyPug offered this cretin a sweetheart deal like that, MontyPug should be recalled and tossed out on his ass. Simcox deserves the needle, nothing less.

Simcox is a vile, atrocious, disgusting human being and I hope he rots in hell for his crimes.

Remember folks, this is the same MontyPug that wants to retry Debra Milke for murder, though he has no evidence she did anything illegal and opposes a legal rule that would require prosecutors to turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense if the evidence shows that another person may have committed the crime an accused is being tried for.

Time to find and hire an ETHICAL County Attorney. And we need to impose STRICT term limits on our current elected officials like Flaccid Failure.

Speaking of, I have to wonder if the Simcox case is one of the 432 sex crimes against children his office refused to investigate?

@robert_graham why are you not disturbed or outraged about pedophiles Robert? why do you always try to divert attention away from sexual crimes and most especially those committed against children? the way you deny them and divert attention away from them, its almost as if you have something vested in covering them up. sexual crimes are among the sickest of all crimes, and those committed against children ARE the sickest of all crimes. i think more manpower, money and resources should be devoted to the prosecution of perpertrators of those crimes, yet you who claim to be about enforcing all laws are constantly trying to deny these crimes have happened, are happening or are worthy of any attention. even when it comes to illegal immigrants, you are never concerned with the sexual predator aspect, you are only concerned with immigration status...............why? all i want from you is a simple answer of why you are always trying to downplay sexual crimes and most especially sexual crimes against children. Why Robert, why?

@robert_graham why you sittin here typin dummy, make a run for the border and i mean quickly, cause theres probably tons of illegal aliens linen up to meet you and yours!!! while youre at the border protectin us, get one of those minutemen (minute lol) to watch your kids for you

@saltywench Of coarse we won't because Carmen Mercer, Chris Simcox's Partner and ally was awarded power of attorney. As such she cleaned out his apartment and took all the computers with her even though they are listed as being tools for some of the crimes to occur. (AKA Evidence). I'm surprised that she isn't in jail awaiting trial for tampering with evidence on this one!

@MaskedMagician1967Got to agree with you there. I've never seen a politician beating their chest about how Pious they are without them being hip deep in some kind of kinky sex bullshite. Nor have I seen so-called business leader acting like they're Bill Gates donating to the community unless they're cheating either a: the consumers, b. their partners, c. ruining the environment. Their is a reason businesses and politicians buy advertising - no one would buy their crap if they didn't propagandize the people.

@robert_graham do you want to know how to get Joe absolute adoration from everyone? have him stop his bullshit birth certificate investigation, stop his useless immigration/employer sanction sweeps and devote some of that money and manpower into stopping pedophiles and sexual offenders. children are the hope and future of this country, he should be protecting them. if i saw him even devote some of the resources he has into bullshit attention grabbing media ploys into stopping the abuse of our most precious resource..............i would probably support him.................but since he wont, he is just as bad as he criminals he ignores (or at least ignored over 420 different times) ..............but what is your motivation for wanting these crimes ignored? why do you vehemently deny they happened or are happening? why do you find the corruption of a childs body and mind to be so inconsequential? why do you find rape of any type to be something to be easily dismissed? what is your story that you are either in complete denial as to these crimes or that is your reasoning for finding these crimes or charges to be so trivial as to be so easily dismissed?

@robert_graham wrong. travesty of justice would be going full tilt after a woman whos conviction was based on the testimony of a proven liar, then trying to back a law that prevents evidence coming forward that could possibly establish her innocence so you dont look incompetent. and while all that is happening, offering a fellow supporter of your cause a sweet plea bargain for also committing crimes against children. so according to Monty, Milke is to be denied justice (i dont know if she did it or not, but she deserves a fair trial), but Simcox is to denied a true shot at possible justice also (dont know if he did it or not, but he deserves to be sat in front of a jury)

Robert, if you want to complain about political pandering to the undocumented and opposing enforcement of immigration laws, get a seance table and contact President Ronald Reagan and President Ulysses S. Grant and complain to them about the amnesty both men granted.

Grant signed the Amnesty Act of 1872. It forgave the Confederates for the Civil War. It should be noted that Grant was a Republican.

Reagan's Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 granted amnesty to any illegal immigrant in the United States prior to January 1, 1982 and is the basis for the current immigration proposal in Congress. It should be noted that Reagan was a Republican.

No Democratic President since the party's founding in 1792 has supported amnesty.

@robert_graham@toersbijnsc Yes Robert I agree, there is too much political pandering and corruptive thinking on the part of politicians and lawmakers sworn to uphold the law; Although it is another subject I will elaborate on this -

Since 1986, nothing constructive has been done and now we are overwhelmed with a problem that is not easily dismissed by law and needs 3 things to come together - rule of law - incremental discretionary steps to allow permanency to those law biding - a probationary period after legalizing those without criminal records and proceed to allow citizenship once they complete their visa status satisfactorily.

No amnesty and everything according to the law but that won't happen because the DOJ is changing the rules daily to suit the political climate making it harder for law enforcement to do its job. Those that do not meet criteria should be deported and made to re-apply accordingly and start fresh.... just like the law says they can. Felonies excluded. If that is not acceptable, then change the laws.

Comes as no surprise that prosecutors would fight anything that makes then adhere to ethical standards or makes their office or them personally accountable or responsible for their illegal actions in Arizona.